Chapter Text
Gunshots fire in the distance. A scared boy holds his breath as he hides under the bed. Footsteps walk into the room. The boy sees feet. They stop. They’re about to find the boy when-.
Hajime gasps as he wakes up. He’s been having this dream for ten years. He could never really understand it. He swings his legs off the edge of the bed. He writes this dream into his journal. The “good” doctor requires him to write down his thoughts and what happens to him there. The doctor isn’t really a bad person, but he’s kind of a dick at times and he spends most of his time reading literature from Asia rather than paying attention to his patients.
Hajime closes his eyes and thinks for a moment before flipping through the journal. The oldest entry he has describes his situation.
He thinks back to the orphanage. It was run by two people, Mr. Naegi, who thought up the place and made it a home, and Mr. Togami, the crude man who paid the expenses. When Hajime arrived at the place, the two didn’t really didn’t know what to do with him. He was a boy with crudely cut hair and clothes that were torn to shreds. The most damning thing about Hajime was that he had no idea who he was and how he got to the orphanage. Makoto took him in despite this and gave him a name. Togami never liked him, said that he was “too much trouble”, and it was that which ultimately got him sent off to the asylum.
That place… He’d rather not think about that place, at least right now. It was at that place where he was noticed by Dr. Matsuda and his assistant, Otonashi. It was then he was given away one final time.
Matsuda, despite being himself, wanted to help Hajime. He gave him the journal and did check ups on Hajime every day. No one could figure out what was wrong with him though. Not what he forgot, and not what those dreams were and why he had them. Well, no one has figured it out… yet. Hajime personally accepts his life now, though plagued with problems and intense thoughts, it wasn’t as bad as one might think.
Hajime puts his notebook back in his drawer as he yawns a bit. It’s still pretty late… Maybe A few more hours wouldn’t hurt.
“Hajime,” he hears Matsuda’s voice in the doorway.
Hajime winces as light shines through his window. He doesn’t even remember going back to sleep. He looks over at the older man. He looked as annoyed and stern as ever.
Matsuda continues, “Would you mind explaining to me why you were still sleeping instead of coming to my office?”
Hajime looks down in embarrassment, “I’m sorry, sir. I was woken up in the night. The same dream…”
Matsuda frowns, “I see. Well, since you missed our meeting time, it’s best for you to see Ms. Otonashi while I work on my next patient. She’s in the foyer.”
“Yes, sir,” Hajime nods and runs out of his room down to the foyer.
A chair, a couch, and a few children’s toys were scattered around the foyer. Hajime noticed Otonashi on the couch booking off into the distance, losing herself like usual.
Hajime jumps on the couch next to her and just watches as she thinks, notebook in hand. Otonashi wrote everything down in that notebook. Why? No one really knew, but many suspect that she was also Matsuda’s patient, except she was a more of a secretive one.
“Oh! Little Hajime! I didn’t see you there!” shestarts to jot things down in her notebook, “I’m guessing Matsuda wanted me to do your check up today because you slept in late, yes?”
Hajime nods.
“Well then, I’ll take good care of you!” she smiles, “Let's start off with the basics. Do You remember the date, Hajime?”
Hajime pauses and nods before answering, “November 26, 1869.”
“Good! Good. Now then, do you remember anything about your past today?”
Hajime shakes his head no.
She frowns, “I see that the new medication isn’t working then… Did you have the dream tonight?”
He nods, “I just don’t get it…”
“I’m sure you will in due time, Hajime. Now, I want you to try these pills instead. I’ll tell Matsuda-” she cuts herself off feeling around her dress for something, “Oh darn.”
“What is it?” Hajime tilts his head curiously.
“I must have forgotten to buy the pills!” she quickly jots down a note and wraps it around a few coins, “Take this to the pharmacist. He’ll set you up,” she hands Hajime the wrapped coins.
Hajime nods knowingly and puts the coins in his pocket.
"Good luck and stay safe!" Otonashi waves as Hajime walks out the door.
The city streets of London were musty at best. The streets were filled with stalls and strippers. The people out were the ones considered filth. Needless to say, Hajime belonged there. He makes his way down the winding streets to the makeshift pharmacist. He hands the owner the coins and note. The man nods and hands him the pill bottle. Hajime puts it in his pocket and walks back silently.
The more Hajime walks, the more the path seemed unfamiliar. He walked this path many times before, so why did it feel so different? Did he make a wrong turn? No one was around. He couldn’t ask for help. It felt like some sort of dream.
Soon he sees a house. It was large, old, and decrepit, and for once… familiar.
Hajime opens the door, not seeming to notice the old police tape he just broke. The place was dusty and the floors creaked under Hajime’s feet. The smell of the place was familiar. He coughs a little. He looked around nervously before he noticed something he wasn’t expecting. He stares at the white chalk that outlined two bodies. What… What was this?
Suddenly, the walls start to enclose around the other. He tries to push them away in an attempt to avoid getting squashed in the walls' strong grasps. They were about to win and crush him when a hole opened beneath him causing him to fall down into a deep deep hole.